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Does anyone who has done / is doing EMDR, know if instead of working with a memory or image, you can just work with the feelings / emotions around it, would the EMDR process still work?

I hear where you are coming from, but it's not about them winning. It's about me doing what I need to do to survive; at the moment that means shutting down. Therapy isn't helping me, right now it's making things worse.

Some things are best left alone. If I was only dealing with the past, maybe I could continue, but too much ****in the present. Can't cope with it all.
I can't do this any more.

I don't know if there is anything further on offer after the EMDR is finished, I get the impression that once it's done, I will be expected to 'be ok' and have no further need of MH services.

A couple of weeks ago, I felt like I wanted to talk and talk all this stuff out of my head....
Now it's like, the things that happened earlier in my life, what do any of them matter? The clock can't be turned back, those years can't be reclaimed.
It feels pointless going over it.

Since when did the normal ups and downs of life start getting reframed as 'abuse'?
A lot of the stuff I've read online I experienced too, but just accepted that it was 'part of growing up'. Now I'm being told that I suffered an abusive childhood...Really!?

Thank you all for your replies.

Last week was the first 'practice' session of EMDR, we picked a not-so-traumatic memory to work with, so I realise it's early days yet; but the recent change from Schema Therapy, which I was just getting used to, to EMDR has left me feeling like I've been 'shut down'.

I had been writing stuff down and taking it in for the therapist to read, to help her get some idea of some of the issues I am dealing with, so in Schema Therapy there was more talking about and around these issues. In EMDR last week there was just a brief description of one 'scene' from an issue and that is all that was focused on.  I'm confused. 

She was encouraging me to try to express, describe, verbalise - all the things I couldn't say.... and now it feels like 'you don't need to talk about all that anymore, just a brief description will do.'  Is that all it's going to be every week, until we've gone through all the really distressing stuff?  Like once it's been filed away in the correct place in my brain it doesn't need to be talked about anymore?
Because difficult though it is - I do need to find a way to talk about it.

Hi Snookie
You mentioned in your post about seeing a MH nurse. Are you currently under a CMHT? There is normally a Psychologist / Psychiatrist attached to the CMHT - could you ask (if you haven't already) to be referred to see them?
You said you've had Counselling, Psychodynamic Therapy, EMDR and CBT; it seems that you have been offered various therapies without a dx, which suggests that your issues have been taken seriously, so I am wondering what you feel having a formal diagnosis will give you?
If the NHS is unable to provide further help, then unfortunately the only route is the private one. However, some MH charities /organisations do offer reduced fee therapy so it could be worth enquiring. Try The Counselling Directory if you haven't already, there is a lot of useful information there.

Hi, also new here, lot of confusion....lots of questions....

Referred to MH services with depression and anxiety, but recently told they consider CPTSD is the main problem. Had just started Schema Therapy but having received this CPTSD dx, Psychologist has decided it would be better to go down the EMDR route in conjunction with DBT.

Will dealing with the CPTSD also deal with the depression and anxiety? If yes great, two issues solved in one go! If no and they still have to be dealt with afterwards as a separate issue, I'd rather concentrate on them now and leave the trauma stuff alone.

When I think about my life events and triggers - I just can't equate them to 'trauma'. Am having trouble getting my head around this dx. I feel like a fraud, that it doesn't apply to me.